He. Johansson et al., A THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF THE SEQUENCE-SPECIFIC BINDING OF RNA BY BACTERIOPHAGE-MS2 COAT PROTEIN, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United Statesof America, 95(16), 1998, pp. 9244-9249
Most mutations in the sequence of the RNA hairpin that specifically hi
nds MS2 coat protein either reduce the binding affinity or hare no eff
ect. However, one RNA mutation, a uracil to cytosine change ire the lo
op, has the unusual property of increasing the binding affinity to the
protein by nearly 100-fold. Guided by the structure of the protein-RN
A complex, we used a series of protein mutations and RNA modifications
to evaluate the thermodynamic basis for the improved affinity: The ti
ght binding of the cytosine mutation is due to (i) the amino group of
the cytosine residue making an intra-RNA hydrogen bond that Increases
the propensity of the free RNA to adopt the structure seen in the comp
lex and (ii) the increased affinity of hydrogen bonds between the prot
ein and a phosphate two bases away from the cytosine residue. The data
are in good agreement with a recent comparison of the cocrystal struc
tures of the two complexes, where small differences in the two structu
res are seen at the thermodynamically important sites.